


Winter Haze

by jezzberry



Category: B.A.P, K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blindfolds, Exhibitionism, Fluff, Hybrids, M/M, Rimming, Romance, Smut, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 07:08:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3110657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jezzberry/pseuds/jezzberry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the snow-covered forests of northern Russia, Yongguk finds more than just a few beautiful pictures.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winter Haze

Yongguk cleared his throat, nervously mouthing the foreign word in preparation. “Spa... cibo?” he tried, looking to the taxi driver for confirmation that his pronunciation was acceptable. The bald man leveled him with an unimpressed stare, and shook his head.

 

“Better you stay with English,” the man’s own accent was thick, layered in punctuated t’s and distorted vowels.

 

Yongguk colored in embarrassment, reaching for his wallet as the driver gestured impatiently. He took out the amount in dollars, hoping the sum was enough, and handed it over hastily as he climbed out of the small car. Instantly, the cold air wrapped around him in an unforgiving blanket, and he shivered involuntarily. Of all the places he had been expecting his boss to send him this winter, the last place on that list had been Russia.

 

Yet, here he was, all thanks to a blunder he had made nearly two years ago, in confiding to his best friend, Himchan, that he had always wished to go photograph in the nature-rich lands of northern Russia. Back then, they had both been fresh out of university, itching for a job and to move out of their parents’ houses. Their trades were on the opposite sides of the spectrum. Whereas Himchan had majored in business, Yongguk had devoted his time to the visual arts. However, several months ago, they had been brought together once again, when Yongguk and the other employees at his workplace had been called into a meeting to find a crisp man with neatly parted brown hair and a trim suit waiting beside their supervisor. Their supervisor had then informed them that Kim Himchan had just then been promoted to the head of the South Korean branch of the National Geographic magazine.

 

The adjustment was quick and the welcome even more so, and Himchan was inaugurated to their boisterous community of photographers, columnists, editors, and artists within a few weeks of his arrival. At that point, Yongguk had earned himself the position of primary photographer, so the friendship between him and the new boss was little to be speculated about, and no one had any desire to ask questions. Every coworker knew that the young photographer had climbed the ladder to the top himself.

 

At first, Yongguk had considered Himchan’s arrival a blessing, as the two had been growing farther apart daily because of their conflicting work schedules. Yongguk was on a plane to a foreign country at least three times a month, while Himchan spent nights slaving away at paperwork in unpaid overtime, office dark and papers on his desk illuminated by a single, standing lamp in the corner of the room. Now, they carpooled to the office every morning, had lunch at the nearest deli place, and commuted home together. As much as Yongguk enjoyed the company of his new intern, Junhong, the hours of the day had been regrettably dull without the incessant gossiping of his old best friend. (Although, Junhong’s bright, pink hair and flashing teeth from behind earnest smiles, as well as his willingness to nearly kiss the ground at Yongguk’s feet provided a considerable amount of entertainment, both to Yongguk and to his coworkers.) Yongguk and Himchan had known each other since they were in diapers, after all.

 

His opinion on Himchan had greatly changed, however, in the past few hours.

 

“Who the hell would ever think of going to  _Russia_  during winter?” Yongguk muttered to himself angrily. They were always short on material during the winter, as laziness set in as early and lasted as long as the winter nights, and all the chatter in the office had something or other to do with the holidays. Usually, their winter issues consisted of pictures from warmer places, to remind people that the chilling months would be over in due time. Of course, it was impossible for any columnist or photographer to completely avoid a season, so a good chunk of the magazine still had its winter cheer. Yongguk, though, had never been tasked with traveling to the colder areas in all the time that he had worked for the journal.

 

Himchan was not the only one to blame. If only Yongguk had been more adamant in his refusals, and not fallen for the promises of a first class seat on the plane and a five star hotel (as well as the assurance that he would be paid handsomely for the job) he wouldn’t be here right now. What was there to see in the winter?  _Absolutely nothing._ All of the animals were hibernating, the vegetation was buried in snow, the people were as bitter as the air, and the experience would be positively miserable, Yongguk was certain.

 

Grudgingly, Yongguk hauled his suitcase out of the trunk of the cab and traipsed into the hotel, shuddering at the sudden rush of heat. The hotel was simple and more homely than Yongguk would expect from what little he had seen of the country in the last hour. There were comfortable armchairs and couches pushed to the side, a large fire crackling in a chimney that filled the whole lobby with the smell of pine sap, and fairy lights plastered to nearly every wall. Truthfully, there was little he could complain about. Going on an all-expense-paid trip to a country he had always wished to visit for a full two weeks (another of Himchan’s tempting offers. Typically, three to five days was all Yongguk needed to take enough pictures for a few articles, so the extra time would be gladly spent in a  _banya_ ) and staying in the best hotel around with easy access to a large birch forest less than a mile away was more than Yongguk ever got, even after Himchan became his boss. The company seldom liked to splurge on the trips for their photographers and journalists, and had no desire to lavish their employees in the best service they could find, so this was an unparalleled luxury. Yongguk had drawn the longest straw, as his coworkers were sure to emphasize.

 

Now, if only he could convince Himchan that it was in the company’s best interest to fund a second trip to Hawaii in February for a few weeks.

 

The receptionist in the hotel was a pretty, young woman without an accent, blond hair swept back and gathered in a neat bun. She was prim and smiled widely, and was particularly eager to please, even though she had trouble understanding Yongguk’s lousy English. Eventually, he managed to get into his suite on the top floor, two key cards in his hand. One was for his room, the receptionist had said, and the other was for the sauna on the second floor.

 

The sun was little more than a hazy spot of brightness in the cloud-covered sky, and was hastily climbing down the horizon by the time Yongguk set his suitcase down by the bed. It was unfortunate, but the first pictures would have to wait until later.

 

Yongguk had once read in a book that sometimes, the Aurora Borealis could be seen from upper Russia, and he truly hoped that he would be graced with such a sight. Although they had done numerous articles on the northern lights before, it always posed a beautiful image for which there was no lack of interest. With that thought, the man unpacked his bags, gently laying out all of his equipment on every available flat surface, and pulled open the curtains, letting in the fading light of the dying sun.

 

*

 

Yongguk had little to no knowledge of animals—that was the job of the columnists—but something about the squirrels in Russia was a bit peculiar. In the few days that he had spent in the frozen country, he would have bet his hot coffee on the fact that he’d seen at least twenty squirrels. Yongguk had assumed that every critter would be fast asleep, burrowed somewhere underground where it was far warmer, and yet he was seeing such an interesting animal. He had been attempting to snap a shot of the rodents, but each time, they were too far away for his camera to show more then a blob of color on the screen. 

 

Yongguk had never seen such a squirrel before in his life. They were dark orange, or reddish-brown, Yongguk couldn’t quite tell from his proximity, and they had brushes on the tips of their ears, with tails twice bushier than those of the average gray squirrel he encountered in every other place he had visited (apart from the sporadic black ones he’d caught glimpses of once or twice.) The stomach was white as snow, and the sides were also of a lighter color, more of a mix between the white and the orange.

 

In all actuality, Yongguk wasn’t entirely sure if he was seeing twenty  _different_  squirrels or one squirrel twenty different  _times_. Another item not on his skill set was zoologist, and all animals would forever remain the same to him, with little hope of being able to distinguish one from another.

 

Yongguk shed the heavy jacket he had been wearing the whole day as he walked into his room, breathing a sigh of relief. Somehow, he had managed to sweat in the stuffy clothes, although his fingers had nearly turned into icicles every time he had to remove his layered gloves to take pictures. He had come across the surprising discovery that snow itself was a beautiful camera subject, especially in the quiet woods or in a plain stretching for miles on either side, completely blanketed with at least a foot of the delicate crystals. The sun glancing off the frozen droplets of water brightened the images and gave them an almost blinding appearance. Yongguk had discovered that the trip was far from a total loss, especially after he had come across a few interesting species of birds and a wild, wholly white ferret. He had heard word of a tribe of indigenous peoples called  _Chukchi_  living miles away, as well. Perhaps, he’d take a trip down there at some point and ask if taking a few pictures of their lifestyle was acceptable. And, if he could catch a squirrel unawares and also get a peep of the northern lights, then his mission would be considered complete, and he could spend the rest of his days relaxing.

 

Something tapped against the glass of the large window on the other side of the room. He stared at it curiously, picking at his gloves and moving closer until he could see the source of the noise.

 

It was a squirrel ( _the_ squirrel?) and its beady eyes were mirroring his astonishment as the two stared each other down. Yongguk had the chance to take in its features at close range, noting the squirrel’s glossy and well-groomed fur. The owner obviously took great care of it. Another moment, and Yongguk was finally in the correct frame of mind to dash for his stashed camera and clumsily aim the lens at the unsuspecting creature. However, his frantic movements seemingly scared of the tiny animal, and it was nowhere to be found, once again.

 

Frustrated, Yongguk flung open the window, sticking his head out and bearing the biting wind to search for the lost rodent, only to find nothing more than a view of tall pine trees and the small parking lot below. He had lost the perfect chance.

 

With a groan, the dark-haired man continued with his previous task, peeling off all manner of clothes and getting ready for a hot shower. He left the window open a crack, partly to clear out the stuffy, stale air in his room and partly because of some distant hope that the squirrel would find its way inside.

 

The bathroom filled with steam as he scrubbed away the grime from the last few days, suds flowing down the drain as the showerhead doused him in hot water. He stepped out once every inch of his body was clean, and wrapped himself up in two thick towels before heading into the bedroom. It was oddly warm in there after thirty minutes of fresh, winter air coming in. Yongguk looked to the window, stopping in confusion.

 

“Oh, are you done showering?”

 

He screamed (like a man.)

 

“Ow, dude, you’re hurting my ears. I’m sorry to scare you like this, but do you think you could lend me some of your clothes? I didn’t want to take them without asking but I also don’t really want to stay naked the entire time.” There was a boy standing in front of the glass, caramel-blond dyed hair fringe falling over his eyes, brush-tipped squirrel ears sprouting from his head, and bushy, matching squirrel tail curved from somewhere behind him, between his legs, and up to cover his extremities.

 

“Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?” Yongguk demanded.  _And what’s with the squirrel getup?_ He added silently.

 

“I’m Daehyun. You left the window open, so I just squeezed in.”

 

This situation was beyond abnormal. “You mean to tell me that you came in through the window?”

 

“Yep,” The boy— _Daehyun_ —replied, edging to the side to reveal the now closed entrance.

 

“And you expect me to believe that?”

 

The boy blinked. He was a good few years younger than Yongguk, by the look of him, with a scrawny, tiny frame. “Um, yeah? Is that weird?”

 

“Oh, no, of course it’s not weird. A boy like you can totally climb up five stories from outside, naked, in the middle of winter. In Russia. Winter  _in Russia._ Yeah,” Yongguk deadpanned, expression far from impressed.

 

Daehyun giggled. “You’re funny, mister. Of course I didn’t climb up here as a human, and naked. I came in as a squirrel and  _then_ turned into a human.”

 

“Right. So I guess that’s what explains your ears and tail?”

 

“Yep!”

 

“Okay, great. Now, get out,” Yongguk growled, finger pointed authoritatively to the door. He did not need this going any further. It was best to get rid of this psychopath before he caused any more trouble. Or attempted to murder him, at that. Never mind that the big-lipped and sparkly-eyed male didn’t look like he would dare to harm a fly, there were warning bells ringing in Yongguk’s head, and that was never a positive indicator.

 

Daehyun pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. “Only if you give me your nuts.”

 

“My  _what_?” Yongguk swore he was not going through puberty any longer, but the squeaky pitch his tone reached made him feel like he was back in the days when his voice constantly cracked.

 

“Your nuts. That’s why I came in, actually. I wasn’t going to stick around. I thought I’d just drop in quickly, find your nuts and then run out before you got out of your shower. I can’t find them, though. I can smell them on you, really heavily. You smell like almonds.”

 

Yongguk brought up an arm, sniffing his skin. He had no idea what this lunatic was on about, he smelled like vanilla soap and water.

 

“I thought squirrels ate acorns?” Something about Daehyun was stopping the elder from throwing the boy out immediately. Maybe it was the sincerity in his eyes or the natural light-heartedness he radiated, or the cute way he fluttered his eyelashes in confusion while sniffing at the air. He had a soft voice, too, almost timid, and his shoulders were hunched in a way that promised he was also not enjoying the entire fiasco.

 

“They eat a lot of things, and almost all kinds of nuts. Will you give them to me?”

 

“I don’t have any nuts. I’m sorry, but please leave.”

 

Daehyun sighed dejectedly. “What if I let you take a picture of me? Will you let me have them? You’ve been trying to get a picture ever since you got here. I’ve been watching you. Do you think I’m that pretty?” he teased, tail moving out of the way of its own accord and straightening behind him. It then gently curved to the slope of his back, curling into an  _s_  at the end.

 

“It—it moved. Your tail moved.” Yongguk gaped at the reddish-brown hued appendages, observing them in a new light as he finally noticed the minute twitches in Daehyun’s ears.

 

“Of course it moved. They’re real, you know,” Daehyun pointed out.

 

“I didn’t think you were serious. Squirrel-humans don’t exist!” Yongguk exclaimed, flabbergasted.

 

“Yes they do! If they didn’t, then I wouldn’t be possible, now would I?”

 

“That’s exactly my point! I thought you were some crazy kid trying to play a trick on me.”

 

“Well, now that I’ve proven that I  _am_  a squirrel, will you give me your nuts?”

 

Yongguk shook his head. “I told you, I don’t have any nuts. I’m serious. Jesus, will you cover yourself,  _please?_ And you haven’t really proven anything, just that you’re a cross between a squirrel and a human. That doesn’t actually mean you’re a squirrel. If you were really that squirrel from before, then you wouldn’t be speaking Korean, you’d be speaking Russian.”

 

“I can speak Russian, too. I’ve picked up English over the years as well. My dad is Korean, my mom is Russian.”

 

“That’s not possible. We don’t have squirrels like you in Korea,” Yongguk retorted.

 

“I didn’t say you did. I took my dad’s genes.”

 

Yongguk gazed at him skeptically.

 

“I’m really not here to argue with you about squirrels and hybrids and genetics. Look, just give me your nuts, please? There’s nothing to eat during the winter, and I’m really hungry.”

 

Yongguk looked the younger up and down a bit more carefully this time. Indeed, Daehyun was skinnier than acceptable for his age, his face gaunt and the circles under his eyes dark. “Can you eat human food? I’ll give you some clothes and take you out to eat, but only if I get my picture.”

 

At the promise of food, Daehyun perked up, ear tips straight. He deflated quickly, however, once the offer was on the table and he had time to consider. “I can’t go outside. Hybrids turn in the cold. Well, it depends on the animal, but because I’m a squirrel, I only turn into a human when it’s warm. If it’s cold, I go straight back into being an itty-bitty squirrel,” he explained.

 

Yongguk tried not to smile at the way Daehyun referred to himself as  _itty-bitty,_ and hid his grin behind his arm as he turned away. It was really cute. “We’ll eat at the hotel restaurant, then. Do you know how to hide your ears and tail?” Yongguk pulled open the drawers of the dresser in the room, rummaging around for the smallest hoodie and pair of sweatpants he could find. He handed the clothes, as well as one of his snapbacks and a pair of boxers to the elated squirrel and ushered him into the bathroom. “Get dressed in there, and don’t come out until I say you can.”

 

It was probably peculiar, that he was handling this newfound information about a hybrid species rather calmly, but there were a lot of things he could handle peacefully. If he could survive Himchan’s shopping trips, he could survive the discovery of a new animal. Therefore, with his survival not in peril, there was nothing to worry about. (Occasionally, Yongguk tended to over-simplify things to lessen the shock.)

 

The photographer turned, grabbing for his own set of clothes and dropping the towels onto the floor as he proceeded to change. He was zipping the fly of a loose set of jeans when someone whistled behind him. Whirling around to face the perpetrator, he was met with Daehyun’s impressed gaze and a wolfish smile that didn’t fit on his tiny face as the blond blatantly checked him out.

 

“Nice muscles,” Daehyun murmured, edging closer to the elder. His tail was hidden somewhere in the folds of the borrowed pants, and his ears were covered with the much too large snapback. The hat was a representation of the rest of the clothes, which hung off his small figure, dwarfing him in every sense of the word. Yongguk had to admit that he had never seen a sight as adorable as that which he now faced.

 

“I thought I said not to come out until I told you to?” the man questioned, banishing the unfavorable thoughts from his mind and grabbing for a sweater to pull over his head.

 

“I was afraid you’d leave without me,” Daehyun admitted quietly, fiddling with his thumbs.

 

Sensing that he had tread upon a tender subject, the black-haired male changed tactics. “Aren’t you supposed to be hibernating?”

 

“Yeah. I usually do, but I couldn’t fall asleep this time. It’s really lonely. I don’t have many friends, and at my age, almost everyone has found a mate. Even Youngjae found someone. I think his name was Jongup? Everyone has a mate except me, and I can’t fall asleep all alone anymore, even though I’m so tired I could collapse any minute. I haven’t slept properly for days.”

 

Yongguk almost wanted to hit himself. Somehow, he always managed to lead a conversation into a hole of sadness or an awkward silence. Or both, like now.

 

“A mate?” he finally gathered the courage to ask. “What do you mean?”

 

“Someone to be with, to love. A boyfriend,” Daehyun informed.

 

Yongguk bit back a cough. “I think you mean  _girl_ friend.”

 

“No, I mean boyfriend.”

 

This time, the elder really did fall into a coughing fit, a result of choking on his spit. “You mean you’re gay? Squirrels can be gay?”

 

“ _Excuse_ you, I am more human than I am squirrel. I spend eight months being human and working and going to school, so,  _yes_ , I can most definitely be gay. Aren’t you? I thought you were, with the way you were staring at me back there,” Daehyun shot back, indignant.

 

“It’s—you have  _ears and a tail_ , and, I am, but that’s—” Yongguk flushed at his unexpected confession, red rising up his neck. 

 

“That’s what?”

 

“Not the point,” he finished lamely.

 

Satisfied with the affirmation he had received from the other, Daehyun trotted in front as the two took the elevator down to the first floor and marched through the halls. They were seated immediately after arriving at the restaurant, and Daehyun’s eyes widened as he took in the amount of dishes he could order.

 

“I hope you’re paying. I can’t afford these prices,” Daehyun muttered.

 

“Of course I’m paying, I’m the one who offered to take you out, didn’t I?” Yongguk said. “Order as much as you want.”

 

“I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.” The hybrid grinned brightly, pearly teeth flashing in the dim lighting and eyes crinkling in delight. Yongguk caught himself staring and swallowed, unable to draw his gaze away. The waiter came by their table to get their orders, and Yongguk had yet to even so much as glance at the menu, so he pointed at the most expensive dish randomly, focusing again on Daehyun once the waiter had gone.

 

The boy smiled at him, resting his chin on his palm. “So, what are you doing over here? January isn’t exactly the best time to visit northern Russia.”

 

Their talk lasted over the course of the meal, which took a surprisingly short time, considering the fact that Daehyun had ordered three appetizers, five main dishes, and desert, but Yongguk learned more about the squirrel in one hour than he had learned about Himchan in one year. He spoke rapidly and asked questions that never received an answer because there was one right after the other. He filled the silence that usually had Yongguk trapped, and even hummed while he ate. Yongguk wondered if there was ever a moment around Daehyun when he wasn’t making some sort of vocal noise with his gentle tone. With every passing moment, the photographer felt himself grow a strong fondness for the strange creature, and he was becoming more and more averse to the thought of parting ways once he finally had a picture. He reasoned that it would be nice to have someone to speak to and spend time with while in a foreign country.

 

It was dark outside once they made it back to Yongguk’s room, and Daehyun immediately began removing the temporary clothes.

 

“What are you doing?” the elder asked in alarm, shielding his eyes as the boy made to take off his pants.

 

“I promised you a picture, didn’t I? If I go outside now your clothes will fall down and into the snow when I turn, so it’s better if I go out naked.”

 

Yongguk hesitated. “It’s okay, you don’t have to. I don’t really need that picture anyway. It’s really cold out there, isn’t it? Even if you are a squirrel.”

 

Daehyun grinned wryly. “That’s why we hibernate—because it’s too cold to be out there for no reason.”

 

“You should stay here, then. I’ll be around for another ten days, so at least you can keep warm until then.”

 

“Really? You mean it?” Daehyun asked hopefully, clutching at the sleeve of Yongguk’s sweater in his excitement.

 

“Sure, why not?” Yongguk had the vague feeling he would regret this in the near future.

 

“But you only have one bed. Does that mean we can share it?”

 

“Uh…” Ah, there it was. The regret. “I guess.”

 

“Awesome!” Daehyun gleefully jumped onto the mattress, burrowing under the covers with the sweatpants still halfway down his thighs.

 

Perhaps tonight, he would sleep well.

 

*

 

Don’t you want to go outside at all?” Yongguk questioned, puttering about the room and getting dressed. His departure from the cold country was in two days, and he was already starting to clean up the mess Daehyun had made of the suite in the past week, picking up articles of clothing from every corner. Sleeping in the same bed with the squirrel had been less of a problem than he had imagined, up until last night. Daehyun had curled up on his side, squirmed into the warmest possible place (which happened to be cuddled just beneath Yongguk’s arm), and promptly fallen asleep. The photographer had followed after a half hour or so, to the lullaby of small sniffles and quiet, content whines. That was how it had been for five straight nights. On the sixth, things were different.

 

Yongguk was sure that the boy had long been drowning in slumber (and the male himself was drowsily sinking) when suddenly the blond had shifted closer, sliding a leg in between Yongguk’s thighs. Startled, he had tried to move away, but was unable to budge as Daehyun held on to him like a koala to a eucalyptus tree. The leg had then inched upward until it was rubbing against the elder’s crotch, yet for all the world, the hybrid appeared to be fast asleep. Admittedly, Yongguk was immensely attracted to the youth, and that (along with a rather vivid fantasy) was what had brought about his demise as the knee continued to massage his growing arousal.

 

After finally extricating himself from the touchy teen, Yongguk had found release in the bathroom to thoughts of the squirrel. Guilt had eaten away at him all throughout the night, until he had woken in the morning to a sleepy blond straddling his waist with his lips hovering over the dark-haired man’s nipple. The smirk he had been flashed afterward was far from apologetic, and from then on, Yongguk had not felt safe in such a small room with the predatory boy.

 

Which was why, in the present moment, he was doing his best to rid himself of the pesky squirrel.

 

“But it’s so  _boring_ outside! Youngjae is hibernating and there’s no one to play with me,” Daehyun whined, pouting as he nuzzled into the comforter on the bed, tail wrapped warmly around his waist.

 

“Is Youngjae like you?” Yongguk asked curiously.

 

“What do you mean, like me?”

 

“I mean, is he a squirrel-person?”

 

“No, of course not! That’s absurd—” Daehyun replied, indignant.

 

“Well,  _excuse me_  for being interested—” Yongguk snapped back.

 

“—he’s a chipmunk,” the squirrel finished, flipping over onto his stomach.

 

“Right.”

 

“If you’re asking whether he’s a hybrid or not, that’s a different story entirely. In which case, yes, he  _is_ like me. But don’t ever say something like that to his face, he’ll bite you faster than you can say ’sorry.’ Trust me on that one. Actually, I think he sharpens his teeth on that rock by his pine tree on purpose so he can have them pointy and ready to assault anyone who tries to compare him and me. I don’t think he likes me very much,” Daehyun rambled, scowling in frustration as he rolled around on the mattress, unable to find a comfortable position where his tail was not being crushed under his small figure.

 

“Okay.” By now, Yongguk had figured out that when Daehyun was in a mood to chatter, he’d best be left alone unless the photographer wanted to be pulled into the conversation along with the boy. He never had been much of a conversationalist, and that aspect of his life was probably one of the few things that certainly would not change with the entrance of a strange creature.

 

“Honestly, I don’t know if you can call what he and I have a friendship. He’s such a bully sometimes, and he never shares his nuts with me. He gets so mad when I take a few from his hiding spots even though he usually doesn’t even remember where they are until he sees me at one of them. He makes it a point to regularly remind me that I’m not as smart as him and then says something awful. Like, just the day before he went hibernating, he told me I’d get run over by a car because I was so stupid. That’s not very nice, is it? He went to sleep a few days earlier than everyone else, too, and I think he did that because he wanted to avoid me. He’s just not very good at apologizing. But, it’s okay, I got the message and forgave him already.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“I don’t see why he tries so hard to get rid of me. I’m the only friend he has! No one else would put up with his snarky, stuck-up ass, except maybe Jongup. The kid’s an angel, I hear. I mean, he’s a chipmunk, too, obviously, because if he was anything else that would be beyond weird, but he’s also angelic in personality.”

 

“Uh-huh,” Yongguk grunted.

 

“You’re not even listening to me, are you?”

 

“I hear you.”

 

“Hyung,” Daehyun sighed, clambering out of the bed to investigate what had grabbed Yongguk’s attention. The elder was sitting at the tiny desk the hotel provided, hunched over his camera and producing a series of mechanical clicks as he went through the pictures he had taken on the second day and played around with the settings. “Play with me,” the blond demanded. Receiving no response, he clambered nimbly onto the table, pushing aside the equipment (carefully, so as not to damage any of it) and slipped into Yongguk’s lap.

 

“Daehyun, just give me a mo—” the elder froze as he felt the lack of dress. “Where are your pants?”

 

“Somewhere over there," Daehyun responded vaguely, gesturing around the entire room. “I don’t know. Don’t worry, I’m wearing underwear.”

 

Against his better judgment, Yongguk glanced down, feeling his mouth go dry and his sweatpants grow marginally tighter. The squirrel was wearing one of the photographer’s sweaters, turtleneck folded in half neatly and hem skimming the tops of his tanned thighs. His fingers were curled into the too-long sleeves, expression suspiciously innocent and straight teeth gnawing at his full lower lip. His furry ears were turned ever so slightly to the back, a dead giveaway of the mischief he intended to sew.

 

“Please go put on some pants, Daehyun,” Yongguk said slowly, reigning in his self-control.

 

“Hyung, I really like you,” the hybrid murmured, scooting forward until his ass was positioned perfectly just over the elder’s awakening cock. “You’re so kind. So sexy. So caring,” he paused, resting his forehead on the man’s shoulder. “I don’t want our time to be cut short because you have to leave. Can we?” he whispered, rolling his hips down to properly relay his request.

 

“Daehyun, do you know what you’re asking for?”

 

“I’m twenty years old, hyung, even if I don’t look like it. You aren’t my first.” Sensing his win, Daehyun winked cheekily in encouragement.

 

“Fuck,” Yongguk muttered, pulling the other closer and grinding up. Since the moment he had met Daehyun, the squirrel had left a lasting impression on him. They were complete opposites in certain aspects of their personalities—where Yongguk was stoic, gentle, and moralistic, Daehyun was excitable, a diamond in the rough, and impish—but in a way they complimented each other, covering the bad with good and achieving a balance. He was attracted, but had held himself as aloof as he could, knowing that when he came back to Korea, the lovable creature would not go along with him. He had figured that if he denied himself any investment in the male, then he would save himself the trouble that leaving would bring.

 

All that was thrown out the window the same way he threw Daehyun against the cool glass after he struggled out of the desk chair, hands gripping the flesh just under the blond’s ass tightly enough to leave lasting marks. Daehyun’s breath hitched audibly, Cheshire grin splitting across his lips even as the windowpane dug painfully into the backs of his thighs once he was let down. He snaked his arms around Yongguk’s thick neck, thumbs massaging the nape and fingers carding through the luscious locks. The two remained silent, enjoying the lack of noise in the room and the unhurried pace as their mouths molded together, tongues lapping at each other’s wet caverns and teeth nibbling playfully at caught lips. The peace lasted only as long as Daehyun managed to hold in his desire for the elder, which was hardly a total of five minutes. Without even having started, the squirrel knew what role Yongguk would take part in: the photographer would be the ideal tease, eager, but with such a firm grasp on self-control that the foreplay could go on for hours unless Daehyun gave in and submitted wholly.

 

Daehyun was not a patient man, least of all in sex. If it meant he would be thoroughly satiated, there were no boundaries to what he would participate in.

 

“You’re going to absolutely torture me, aren’t you?” Daehyun breathed, moving away from Yongguk’s lips to grace the his Adam’s apple with loving licks. He could feel it bob as Yongguk swallowed and backed away, a hand held out to stop the hybrid from following the movements.

 

“Maybe a little bit,” Yongguk admitted, satisfied once Daehyun stopped trying to pursue him. He quickly grabbed for his half-packed suitcase, pulling out a bottle of lube and a short, knitted scarf and winding it around his wrist before heading back to the window.

 

“Are we going to do this here?”

 

Daehyun’s only response was another kiss as Yongguk turned him to face the see-through surface, warm body pressing close to his back. The scent of almonds filled his nostrils, setting him off in a daze as the striped sweater was slowly eased upward, revealing first his flat stomach, then his torso, his arms after they had been pulled out, and lastly, his head. He could see a fuzzy reflection of his bare body in the glass, including the way his cheeks tinted pink once he realized that from this position, anyone down below only had to look up to see him in all his glory. It was exhilarating and frightening all in the same moment, and coupled with the touch of the nearly freezing glass against his skin, it was a sensory overload he had not expected. He shivered violently, feeling the creature inside of him clawing against the bonds of his human body at the cold, a tingle running rampant along his spine as he was sandwiched between the hot chest behind him and the window. Now, he could truly understand the saying  _stuck between a rock and a hard place._

 

Something soft slid over his forehead and covered his eyes, obstructing all of his vision. He felt the material he now identified as the scarf Yongguk had brought tied tightly at the back of his head and resisted the urge to rip it off. Daehyun had never felt this exposed in all of his life, at the mercy of a man he had known for a little more than a week, (though he didn’t believe he needed more than that to get the ball rolling) undressed, blinded, and on display for whoever happened to glance at the top floor of the hotel from outside.

 

It was humiliating and a bit degrading, yet somehow the squirrel’s erection was only fueled by the situation, and his hard length strained against the only piece of clothing still hanging onto his hips. That, too, was confiscated and thrown to the floor as Yongguk palmed his flushed manhood, fingers dancing around the base and thumb pressing into the vein.

 

“You like that, baby?” Yongguk grunted, fingernail catching under his head before running over his slit. Daehyun shuddered in reply and moaned invitingly, ears twitching in pleasure from the pet name. Without his eyesight, every simple touch—the brush of Yongguk’s stray hairs against his ear, the firm grip on his bare hip, the puffs of air as the elder inhaled and exhaled—had the fine strands all over his body standing to attention and arousal collecting in a pool in his abdomen. Yongguk’s hand glided up from his hip, nearing the younger’s dusky buds, and without even a graze from the other, the nubs were already pebbling, anticipating the contact.

 

The photographer chuckled, tweaking one nipple gently and eliciting a small whine from the boy. “Patience is a virtue,” he recited, trying said endurance by letting go of the hybrid’s cock and slipping his hand between his legs to fondle his balls instead. The other hand was doling out endless attention to his nipples, massaging the perky buds and wetting them with spit slicked fingers to increase their hardness.

 

“What, are you going to make me be-beg?” Daehyun said defiantly.

 

“I probably should.”

 

Daehyun groaned at his own misfortune, hitting his head against the window. He went weak-kneed instantly as Yongguk drew a path down his spine with his lips, ending at Daehyun’s right ass cheek and delivering a sharp bite. He latched into another dip in the smooth skin, sucking a possessive mark into the spot and admiring the blooming hickey. It wasn’t the last of its kind, as Yongguk littered his rear in as many of the markings as he could fit in, each time gradually getting lower and closer to Daehyun’s hole. Though the blond had an inkling of what was about to take place, he couldn’t believe that the man would do something so obscene. He was proven wrong, however, as Yongguk spread him apart, nudging his legs further to the side, hold so gentle that it almost tickled. A dry finger circled his entrance, pushing against the muscles as the male nosed closer.

 

“S-stop, that’s dirty,” Daehyun protested feebly, the objection sounding rather pathetic, even to himself. The thought of Yongguk tongue fucking him was more enticing than he would let on, even as his manhood rested against his stomach.

 

He jerked forward at the first wet swipe, cock dragging over the frigid window glass and sending shocks rocketing through his system. The contrast of heat and cold was almost painful, but the temporary friction was too mouthwatering to resist. Yongguk dug his nails into the plush flesh of the boy’s ass, squeezing and releasing until it began reddening, tongue straightened to thrust past the barrier ring and into Daehyun’s depths. The muscle drew back but quickly regained its place, speedily spreading his insides and leaving him wanting for something bigger to fill him to the brim.

 

“Oh, fuck.” He keened, fingers scrabbling helplessly against the smooth surface as Yongguk’s tongue reached further, lapping at his walls and lubricating him in such a  _filthy_ way that the mere thought of what exactly was inside of him had Daehyun tugging desperately at his erection. The tongue withdrew with an erotic slurping sound and a hand slapped away his own in disapproval.

 

“Don’t touch yourself. I want you to come just like this,” Yongguk ordered.

 

“I can’t, Yongguk,  _I can’t._  Please, please, just fuck me, I want to—I want  _you_.” He had no clue where this sudden lust was spawning from, but the foreplay hadn’t even gone on long enough for him to be so full of desire. He  _needed_ Yongguk, and needed him right there and then, or else the swimming blackness that was the only thing he could see would overwhelm him. He had never been particularly close to anyone, but he wanted to form a bond with the elder male, and doing it by way of sex was the best idea he could come up with.

 

“I thought it’d be a bit harder to make you beg,” Yongguk muttered faintly, but the sound of the lube cap popping calmed Daehyun’s frantic mumblings. All it took were a few, long seconds and then the male was grabbing onto his sides, holding him close and rubbing the tip of his cock against the barely-stretched entrance. “It’ll hurt,” the elder warned.

 

“I don’t care, God, I don’t  _care_ ,” Daehyun chanted impatiently.

 

Without waiting for further permission, Yongguk slammed in, gasping for breath at the vice grip around his length as the younger groaned in agony.

 

“Sorry, fuck, I’m so sorry. Just, relax, take deep breaths—”

 

Daehyun listened to his voice, finding comfort in the deep baritone and the concern Yongguk showered him with. “M-move,” Daehyun whimpered, pushing back. He was eager to get past the pain and reach the bliss that came after.

 

Yongguk obliged, shallowly rocking back and forth and picking up speed with every passing moment. Daehyun’s tail was lifted out of the way, the red-hued, furry tip tickling the photographer’s shoulder as he drove into the boy. The blond was making a series of erotic sounds; a mix of moans, gasps, and whines, that were quickly rising in pitch and frequency. Yongguk had expected that Daehyun would be quick to tip over the edge, especially with how needy he had been earlier, but he had not anticipated that he would be following just as swiftly, groans escaping his throat as the younger purposefully clenched his ass and increased the heat wrapped around his cock.

 

Searching for the right angle, the black-haired male shifted a few times, rewarded with another high keen and a tightening around his length when he finally struck Daehyun’s prostate. The other had once again taken a hold of his own erection without permission, but Yongguk was buried too deep in his bliss to care. Nevertheless, he managed to utter the one sentence he had prepared before entering, curious to test out his theory on the exhibitionist kink he thought he had noticed in Daehyun.

 

“Th-there’s someone on the street.”

 

Daehyun went rigid, jaw slackening and legs buckling and depositing him in Yongguk’s arms as he choked out a mangled curse, coming all over the window. The elder was not far behind, coating the squirrel’s walls with his release as the pulsing muscles milked him of his seed.

 

Exhausted, he somehow relocated them to the bed, pulling out and staggering the short distance to collapse on the mattress. He untied the blindfold, but Daehyun waved away his efforts to clean them up and huddled close to his side instead. The younger fell asleep shortly after, along with Yongguk.

 

*

 

The morning brought with it a ray of sunlight that shone directly into Yongguk’s closed eyes. Reluctantly, he let one squint open, the second following quickly after as he gazed down fondly at the warm body pressed to his chest. Daehyun turned his head to the side slightly, a dark, fathomless orb staring up at the human, the other still hidden in Yongguk’s skin. He smiled, though the cheerful expression did not travel higher than his mouth. None of the usual wrinkles at the corner of his eyes were present, and the elder was instantly concerned.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Hyung, will you take me with you?” Daehyun inquired timidly, a huge contrast to his bold demeanor the night before.

 

“I—” Yongguk paused. Obviously, he wanted to take the squirrel with him, there was no doubt about the stirring the boy caused in his chest, but it was impossible. “I can’t. It’s against the law to take animals out of a country, I could be thrown into jail for that.”

 

“I can go as a human!” Daehyun defended.

 

“You don’t have a passport,” Yongguk argued.

 

“I don’t know where that dumb thought came from, but I’ve told you before, eight months of the year I’m just like any other human. I have a passport, and I have an apartment full of human belongings, too, even if I don’t use it that often. If you don’t want me to go, tha-that’s okay, I don’t want to be a burden or anythi—”

 

Yongguk captured his chapped lips in a kiss, cutting off the rest of the saddened sentence. “Don’t be ridiculous. I didn’t think. I want you to come with me, of course I do. But, you’d be leaving so much behind. Is it really okay with you?” It would be difficult, especially during the winter and with the threat of Daehyun turning into a rodent at any moment—even bundled in clothes as he would be—but he was determined to find a way. “I’ll get you into the airport as a squirrel, somehow, and then you can change into some clothes in a bathroom. I have to hurry and buy another ticket if it’s not too late.”

 

“It’s okay. I have nothing of importance here. You really want me? Really truly?” He was uncertain, something sad playing behind his eyes and betraying the loneliness he had felt for all of his years living in Russia.

 

Yongguk had thought Daehyun’s hunched shoulders the first time that they’d met was because he was shy as a result of his nudity, or that he was feeling uncomfortable, but there was more to it. He had noticed that Daehyun liked to curl in on himself, liked to be small but taken care of. He liked to tuck himself inside and would not come out without gentle coaxing. Daehyun had split his own heart in two. One half he wore on his sleeve, and the other he had buried deep inside. Yongguk wanted to make Daehyun’s heart whole again, and maybe take it from him and hold it forever, warm it with his hands the way Daehyun already did to Yongguk’s heart.

 

“Daehyun, have I ever said something that I didn’t mean? You aren’t the only one who really likes a certain someone.” Yongguk grinned, placing another chaste kiss on the hybrid’s lips as he climbed out of the bed and went in search of his laptop to purchase the ticket. He had not gotten a picture of the Aurora Borealis, and Daehyun had yet to pose for him as a squirrel, but this trip had given him something much greater. Perhaps, it was high time he got into the dating world again. “I’d really like to take you on a date once we get home, what do you say?”

 

 _Home_. It had been a while since Daehyun had considered a place his home. Russia had never felt right, neither had his gloomy little apartment or the tree he liked to spend his winters in. Yongguk, however— _Yongguk_ was home.

 

“I think I’d like that very much.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my writing, please consider leaving me a small tip on my [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/jezzberry)


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